159 "The two tanks equipped with flame throwers,"
cried the enemy commander, ""move up! Burn that thing!"
160 The two tanks moved into position, and again and again their
tongues of flame leaped out. Suddenly as they both fired together their
hatches blew open and flames poured from inside them. But as the smoke
cleared, the tree still stood. Though the ground around it was seared,
not one leaf was brown!
161 "Get out of here!" cried the enemy Commander, "This place is
cursed! It is full of evil! Tell no one what happened here, no one! It
is the enemy's sorcery meant to break our will!"
162 But his men could not keep from speaking, nor could others. For
scouts of The Children of Spirit were watching them, and quickly word
of what had happened reached Gray Boar.
163 Already he had been making some hard decisions. He had brought his
naval forces south and stationed them just off shore. Their big cannon
would reach far inland. He had drawn all his fighters and bombers from every city.
164 "But that will leave the cities defenseless," argued his Air
Commander.
165 "Cities we can rebuild," answered Gray Boar, "this Army we cannot.
We need every fighter and every bomber we have here, tomorrow, and
every member of The Black Death for whom we can find a plane to fly.
166 We must hit the enemy bases that are in range before he rises in
the morning. I doubt we can take him by surprise, but the more of his planes we destroy on the ground, the
better off we are."
167 When the Messengers brought the word about what had happened at the
Tree, Gray Boar's moods were lifted. He called in Little Gray Boar and
showed him the message. "Do you think you and your friends could write
a song in a hurry?" he asked.